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14,015 TRANSITIONS ANALYZED#1 at 23%: Which Transition?The 100 most repeated chord transitions extracted from thousands of songs. Even the first 10 will transform your guitar practice routine.

Pogues - Fairytale Of New York Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on guitar and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsC, F, G, Am
Strumming↓-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑

Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow. Using the Transpose tool, switch to A,D,G keys to play this song with easier chords.

ItwasChristmasCEvebabe,intheFdrunktank
AnoldmanCsaidtome,won’tseeGanotherone
AndthenheCsangasong,TheRareOldFMountainDew
IturnedmyCfaceawayanddreamedGaboutCyou
GotonaCluckyone,cameinFeighteentoone
I’vegotaCfeelingthisyear’sforGmeandyou
SohappyCChristmas,IloveyouFbaby
IcanseeaCbettertimewhenallourGdreamscomeCtrue
They’vegotCcars,bigasGbars,they’vegotAmriversofFgold
ButtheCwindgoesrightthroughyou,it’snoplacefortheGold
WhenyouCfirsttookmyAmhand,onaCcoldChristmasFEve
YouCpromisedme,BroadwaywasGwaitingforCme
YouwereChandsome,youwerepretty,QueenofNewYorkGCity
WhentheCbandfinishedFplaying,theyGhowledoutforCmore
CSinatrawasswinging,allthedrunkstheywereGsinging
WeCkissedontheFcorner,thenGdancedthroughtheCnight
TheFboysoftheNYPDGchoir,wereCsinging‘GalwayAmBay’
AndtheCbellswereFringing,GoutforChristmasCDay
CFCGCFCGC
You’reaCbum,you’reapunk,you’reanoldslutonGjunk
LyingCtherealmostFdead,onaGdripinthatCbed
YouCscumbag,youmaggot,youcheaplousyGfaggot
HappyCChristmasyourFarse,IprayGGod,it’sourClast
TheFboysoftheNYPDGchoir,wereCsinging‘GalwayAmBay’
AndtheCbellswereFringing,GoutforChristmasCDay
IcouldhaveCbeensomeone,well,socouldFanyone
YoutookmyCdreamsfrommewhenIfirstGfoundyou
IkeptthemCwithmebabe,IputthemFwithmyown
Can’tmakeitCallalone,I’vebuiltmydreamsGaroundCyou
TheFboysoftheNYPDGchoir,wereCsinging‘GalwayAmBay’
AndtheCbellswereFringing,GoutforChristmasCDay
SONG DATA3 Chords, 200 Chains, 1 BookDiscover the most-used three-chord combinations in songs and build real command on guitar.
14,015 TRANSITIONS ANALYZED#1 at 23%: Which Transition?Master guitar today with the most repeated high-impact chord transitions.
ArtistThe Pogues
AlbumIf I Should Fall from Grace with God
GenresPop, Pop Rock, Punk, Rock, Celtic
Year1988
KeyC
DifficultyIntermediate

How to play Fairytale Of New York on Guitar (Step-by-step)

The Pogues - Fairytale Of New York on guitar requires 4 chords and 6 core chord transitions. You can find the full step-by-step guide below. Before you start, tune your instrument. The song uses the ↓-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑ pattern; practice it muted first, or simplify to downstrokes while you learn the changes.

Fairytale Of New York uses these transitions most often: G → C (24), C → F (19), and C → G (15). These transitions may feel a little challenging at first, but with steady practice you can play this song quickly.When you are ready, begin with C - F chord transition.

1. C → F chord transition

Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram
Guitar F chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F chord diagram

Switching from C to F:

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
  3. Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on D string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse, played 19 times.

C to F

2. C → G chord transition

Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram
Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram

Here's how to move from C to G:

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse, played 15 times.

C to G

3. G → Am chord transition

Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram
Guitar Am chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-1-0Guitar Am chord diagram

Here's how to move from G to Am:

  1. Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from E string fret 3 and place it on G string fret 2.

This transition appears in the verse.

G to Am

4. Am → F chord transition

Guitar Am chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-1-0Guitar Am chord diagram
Guitar F chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F chord diagram

Switching from Am to F:

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on D string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse.

Am to F

5. C → Am chord transition

Switching from C to Am:

  1. Keep index finger on B string fret 1.
  2. Keep middle finger on D string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on G string fret 2.

This transition appears in the verse, played 4 times.

6. F → G chord transition

Here's how to move from F to G:

  1. While playing F, lift your pinky from D string fret 3.
  2. Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 2.
  3. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
  4. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse, played 10 times.

Fairytale Of New York chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Fairytale Of New York.

  • Fairytale Of New York includes 88 chord transitions, 6 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Fairytale Of New York contains 5 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Fairytale Of New York connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After C, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (35%), F (16%), and D (11%).
    • C → G: 35%
    • C → F: 16%
    After G, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (25%), D (24%), and Am (13%).
    • G → C: 25%
    • G → Am: 13%
SONG DATA3 Chords, 200 Chains, 1 BookThe 200 most popular three-chord chains from real songs. See which songs use each chain and expand your repertoire with patterns that actually matter.